“What the hell was that all about?” Riley panted, looking at Walker, her body still trembling in fear and confusion. The attack had happened about an hour beforehand, and Lily and Erin were playing safely together at Walker’s sister’s house. Riley had been too shaken up to refuse the little girl the small pleasure of meeting her best friend’s aunt, and Walker had insisted on taking her back to his house to make sure she was all right.
“I don’t know,” Walker said darkly, setting one of her boxes of belongings down on the floor of the bedroom she had chosen for herself. “But I’m going to find out. Are you all right?”
“I…” Riley looked down at her torso, and lifted her shirt slightly to reveal the cut on her abdomen. “It’s bleeding.”
“Shit,” Walker hissed, gripping her by the hand and leading her to the bathroom. “Sit down and we will take a look at that for you.”
Riley obeyed, clamping her mouth shut and toying with her hands nervously. She had never seen anybody with such passion in their eyes before. Walker had been utterly and completely fearless out there, and it had reignited those feelings she had been working so hard to repress.
“It won’t need stitches or anything, will it?” Riley asked. “I hate doctors. And the shifters always treat humans like babies for showing any signs of pain.”
Walker chuckled. “Yeah, we aren’t the type to let that kind of thing slow us down. But it’s pretty unprofessional of a doctor to make a human feel bad for having feelings that are different from our own.”
“I’ll say it is,” Riley said sulkily.
“All right, let’s see it,” Walker said, turning to her and gently helping her to lift the shirt over her head. “You’re uh…wearing a bra, right? Do you want a towel or something?”
“Yes, I am wearing a bra. And no, I don’t need a towel or anything. Really. It’s fine,” Riley said, her face on fire. This was hardly the way she had imagined baring herself to Walker for the first time.
He was a complete gentleman about it, though and averted his gaze, focusing only on the bleeding wound on her stomach. She winced in pain as he tried his best to clean it gently, and began talking to her just as she would have spoken with Lily if she were hurt; in a soft, soothing tone.
Walker’s voice was deep and its gentle rumble was like a warm blanket over her cool, exposed flesh. “You know,” he said. “I noticed your car is making a kind of a humming sound…that could mean something’s going on under the hood. I can take it into the garage and work on it for you if you want.”
“It is? I never even noticed,” Riley said, caught off guard by the observation.
Walker grinned.
“My sister says I’m like an idiot savant with motors. I know a lot about them.”
“Oh! Do you own Howler’s Motors?” Riley asked, the pieces suddenly clicking into place. “Your friend, Marcus, he’s always bragging you up to anyone who will listen. The royals tend to ignore him, but he’s told me about it more than once.”
“Good old Marcus,” Walker said, the smile on his face lingering and giving his chiseled features a sweet, boyish quality. She could so easily lose herself in those eyes of his.
“So, is that a yes?” Riley asked, perking up on the rim of the bathtub where she had been sitting.
“Yes, that’s my garage,” Walker said, avoiding her eyes modestly. “I own it, but I haven’t been having very much luck in making it a success. There are a lot of other places out there that are more convenient for people, so they get the majority of the business.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Riley said. “Marcus is always talking about how the guy who runs the place is a total genius. Why don’t people go to you?”
“I really don’t know,” Walker said, clearly baffled. “I think it has something to do with marketing. I’m not really good at that kind of thing. I put ads out in the paper, but…”
Riley hissed in pain as he poured alcohol over the wound and dabbed at it gently with a cloth.
“Maybe you need to hire someone to help you with marketing,” Riley said, trying to keep the pain out of her voice. She was self-conscious showing pain in front of any shifter, let alone Walker, who had managed to stay on his feet for six hours after a car had crushed him half to death. “I wish I knew how to help you in that department, but I don’t have any training there. My interest was in the sciences.”
“The sciences?” Walker asked with a low whistle. “That’s some hefty mental work there.”
“I like to keep my mind busy. I was accepted into a great school, but then I got pregnant with Lily and wasn’t able to go…”
“What happened there?” Walker asked, furrowing his brow. “With her father, I mean. A girl with a bright future should have a man who is willing to support her until she achieves whatever she wants to do.”
“He was bad news,” Riley said, shaking her head. “He wanted me to do things I knew I shouldn’t have done. Heavy into drugs. He even asked me to abort Lily.”
“Are you serious?” Walker exclaimed. “That’s unbelievable!”
“You’re not kidding. I didn’t know all that about the drugs until after he had already gotten me pregnant. He came across as this really calm, cool, and collected guy, but the more I got to know him the more fucked up I realized he was. As soon as I told him about Lily, he completely flipped the script and started acting like the biggest asshole I’ve ever met. It was unreal.”
“I’m so sorry,” Walker said, his hands lingering on her stomach. His broad thumb stroked her sympathetically and a surge of heat electrified her body.
It was too late for her to hide her feelings from him at that point, and she looked down at the ground, the breath catching in her throat as heat rose in her face. She was probably blushing horribly, but there wasn’t much point in being self-conscious about it. He knew exactly how she felt. All she could do was try to play it off as if it weren’t a big deal. Anyone having their stomach touched so sensually would react that way, wouldn’t they? Whether they wanted to pursue anything further with the person touching them or not. It was biological. She was scientifically minded. Rationalizing it would help.
“You deserve a real man who would never let you down or ask you to give up your child,” Walker said.
She could feel the weight of his fierce gaze upon her, and she felt even more crushed by it as she attempted to quell the war raging inside her. Walker was incredibly handsome, but who was to say he was even interested in her back? If anything, it would probably be a one-time thing. She saw the kinds of women he went for. And she was definitely not his type.
“Thanks,” Riley said, sighing deeply and finally meeting his eyes. “But I don’t need anyone. I’m never going to rely on someone else as long as I live.”
“That’s a good plan,” Walker said with an approving nod. “Let me know how that works out for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Riley demanded, suddenly feeling stupid and defensive.
“Wolves are pack animals, that’s all. Relying on each other is kind of what we do, you know? There’s nothing wrong with trusting someone else. At least, not when they’re trustworthy…”
“Oh…right.”
Walker and Riley grew quiet, until both of them were focused only on Walker’s strong, skillful hands dressing the wound. Every time their skin touched, it sent a thrill through Riley’s body; one that rivalled the dull sensation of pain she felt whenever the bandage would touch her skin or put pressure on the wound.
“How did you learn to do this?” Riley asked, trying to distract herself from her unwanted desire. “You seem so professional.”
“Oh, it’s actually kind of a requirement to learn about healing and tending to wounds when you’re a pup. It’s impossible to detect when danger might strike and if you aren’t able to cope with it, you could lose your life or the life of someone you love. It’s a risk most of us aren’t willing to take, so we learn young.”
“Oh…”
Walker chuckled. “When it comes to humans, there are some different techniques you can use because our constitutions are so different, but the idea is more or less the same.”
“You mean because we’re weak?” Riley asked, daring to meet his eyes. He was smiling playfully and nodded.
“Exactly. Super weak.”
They laughed softly together, and finally, the wound was dressed and Walker was done. He let his hand drop away from her exposed abdomen and left a trail of fire that spread down to her loins. Walker helped her up and examined the bandage closely to make sure it was secure enough, and then smiled at her.
“That will do,” he said, his eyes dark and flashing. She knew, suddenly, that he had been on to her the whole time; he knew exactly what she was feeling and now, in this moment anyway, he was feeling the same thing.
Suddenly, she was pressed close against his body, his arms gentle but assertive around her, and his face inches away from hers, the tension between them enough to nearly kill her. It was impossible to hide how he made her feel now; her body was awake and alert and sending every signal possible in her brain to tell her she needed to give in to this temptation and succumb to the power of this man’s body.
But Riley was frozen, unable to reconcile her desire with the running track in her mind that was telling her no. This was wrong. They worked together and should keep things on a business spectrum. She could lose everything.
And yet she wasn’t able to pull away. All she could do was yield to the man’s power, and melt under his touch as slowly, gently, his lips met hers and a hot explosion of desire exploded throughout her body. There was no turning back now. All she could do at that point was enjoy the ride.
Riley was suddenly being hefted into the air, a tiny hot pain in her abdomen as Walker lifted her into his arms and carried her, his tongue caressing hers sensually all the while, to his bedroom. It was dark and cool inside, with a heady, rugged scent that reminded Riley of the outdoors.
When Walker looked at her again, his eyes flashed, almost menacingly, and she saw a glimpse of the same wolf that had saved her and her child; the wolf that seemed to be taking them down this path of giving into temptation, no matter what the cost.
It thrilled her, in a way, to be able to see Walker in his purest form; every little part of him. But it was also a little scary. The wolf would take what it wanted, no matter what. Did that mean it would take her too, even if Walker, the man, would simply discard her later?
The thought weighed heavily on her, until Walker’s expressive human eyes laid upon her again and she felt herself relaxing under his touch as he laid her gently on the bed, climbing above her and showering her with languid kisses that brought electricity coursing up and down her skin. He was a caring and sensual lover, but there was also an edge to him. Something unspoken that told her he was in charge here; an alpha not to be reckoned with. And for some reason, that made her want him even more.
Layer upon layer of clothing was peeled away, revealing their bodies to one another. Walker kissed her reverently, as if admiring and appreciating every inch of her, and his hot lips sent shivers of ecstasy through her as he continued, with wolf-like curiosity, to explore her every curve. She didn’t have many of them, not like Walker’s ex-wife, but he seemed intrigued by her body nonetheless, and Riley found herself closing her eyes and gasping in delight as the man’s deliberate, careful touches and strokes ignited a burning desire within her that demanded to be satisfied.
Riley ran her hands down Walker’s incredible torso, mesmerized by every delicious muscle in his body. He was incredible, and frankly, massive; she had never been with a man so huge and she wasn’t sure how she was going to take it.
But the worries soon left her as he came in close again for another round of kissing, and the friction of his body against hers, their middles touching, gave her the confidence that she could handle anything.
As if to test this theory, Riley’s body was suddenly enraptured by the piercing bliss of Walker’s member. She cried out in pleasure as he made his way inside her, carefully but assertively, his eyes watchful and caring.
Once he seemed satisfied that she was able to handle what he had in store for her, his eyes glittered again, flashing back to the animalistic gaze of the wolf within him. Instead of fear, Riley felt a surge of excitement. Walker was going to give her body exactly what it wanted, and he wasn’t going to think twice about it.
Soon, all of her senses were being assaulted as Walker’s powerful, flawless body began to deliver on the promise it had made her. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed down upon her as she was shocked by the blissful penetration of his hard, urgent muscle. She could feel every inch of him inside her as he pleasured her, their bodies entwined and connected by the depth of their desire for one another. She had never experienced anything like it.
Riley moaned deeply as a prickle began to creep up her spine, the immense pleasure causing her to arch her back, bucking her hips invitingly against Walker’s. He seemed to know exactly what to do with this invitation and let out a soft growl, his body ramping up the power and sending wave after wave of unbridled pleasure throughout her body.
With every sensually charged thrust, Riley found herself closer to reaching the height of her pleasure. However, it continued to elude her until Walker gazed into her eyes, his own eyes half wolf and half man, fighting an endless battle for control. It was a battle the man lost, and she found herself helpless to the unmatched power of Walker’s alpha side. Riley shouted out in ecstasy; she could feel the power of both of their bodies climbing toward the ultimate climax. But it wasn’t until she felt Walker grip her hips, the deep rumble in his throat sending a shiver throughout her body, that she finally felt the orgasm begin to overtake her.
Walker’s body didn’t let up on his tirade, and she was helpless against it as an explosion of heat erupted inside her. Walker’s climax filled her with an unrivaled heat and she found the barriers within her melting. Riley’s body trembled beneath his, filled again and again with a pleasure she hadn’t even known was possible as she was swept away by the power of the height of her bliss.
Walker slowed, and then finally stopped his thrusting, until finally, he rolled over beside her on the bed. Both of them lay there panting, lost in their own versions of what had just happened and what they had done. Riley was surprised by a quick peck on the cheek before Walker turned away from her and promptly fell into a deep sleep.